New Delhi/Bangalore: The Centre on Monday rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s demand for recall of Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj. Notwithstanding the Centre's decision, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said they would continue to press for the Governor’s removal.

"There is no question of recalling the Governor", Home Minister P Chidambaram told a press conference here when asked about BJP's demand for recall of Bhardwaj after his last week's report recommending a spell of President's rule in the state and keeping the assembly in suspended animation.

On the Governor's recommendations, Chidambaram said "Governor performed his duty and we took our decision". Chidambaram said the advisories have been issued to state governments from time to time like at the time of attacks on minorities in Karnataka and on the issue of armed camps in West Bengal.

This is done to draw the state governments' attention, he said. Asked what was contained in the advisory, he said "don't indulge in corruption". "Here (Centre) too", a reporter asked to which Chidambaram replied "yes".

Though the Centre has not accepted the Governor's recommendations, Chidambaram said he did not think anything wrong with the Governor raising various issues.

"But the fact remains, the Supreme Court set aside the Speaker's order disqualifying 16 MLAs and made observations which any fair-minded person will know are very strong strictures against the Speaker," he said.

Will continue to demand Bhardwaj removal: BSY

Notwithstanding the Centre rejecting H R Bhardwaj's recommendation on imposingPresident's rule in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa said he would continue to demand the recall of the Governor, who "acted in a partisan manner".

Yeddyurappa said, "The facts (in the Governor's report for imposition of President's rule) did not enable us to come to a conclusion with regards Article 356," explaining last night's decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) rejecting the Governor's report.

He said in arriving at the decision the government was "mindful" of the Supreme Court's judgment on the issue, an apparent reference to the S R Bommai judgement which put strict safeguards in regard to dismissal of a state government by the Centre.

Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa said "I compliment the Government of India for taking the decision not to accept the Karnataka Governor's recommendation to keep the Assembly in suspended animation. It is a great victory for democracy and for my government which enjoys a clear majority."

After the Centre rejected his recommendation last night, Bhardwaj gave his consent to the Cabinet's recommendation to convene the Assembly session from June 2.

However, this did not placate Yeddyurappa and the BJP and the party has decided not to give up its demand for the Governor's recall.

"This was nothing but a political conspiracy of the Congress party. This is an attack on the federal structure of the country and recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-state relationships," Yeddyurappa said.

Sources close to the Chief Minister maintained that he will return to the capital after a week and meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram to press for Bhardwaj's removal. Singh left for a week-long visit to Ethiopia and Tanzania this morning.

"The Centre's decision clearly exhibits that the Governor has acted hastily and in a partisan manner. It is high time that the Centre recall the Governor immediately," Yeddyurappa said, adding the Governor did not pay heed to the Karnataka Cabinet resolution for convening of the session soon after the Supreme Court quashed the Speaker's decision disqualifying 11 rebel BJP MLAs.

Asked about UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's comments on Sunday that some opposition parties were not acting against their corrupt Chief Ministers, Yeddyurappa said, "The entire country knows very well what is happening at the Centre. I will reply to it at the appropriate time."

The Chief Minister met senior party leaders L K Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley here. He thanked the NDA Chief Ministers who had written letters to the Centre against the Karnataka Governor's behaviour.

He also thanked Singh, Chidambaram and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for "this appropriate decision to uphold the true democratic decision".

Meanwhile, sources said the government will not go for a floor test in the Assembly when it meets on June 2 as it had paraded 114 party MLAs and shown letters of support ofseven more to President Pratibha Patil.

BJP in celebration mode

A mood of confrontation among the ruling BJP activists gave way to celebrations across Karnataka on Sunday after the Centre rejected Governor H R Bhardwaj'srecommendation to dismiss its government.

A day after the UPA government announced the decision to dump the Bhardwaj special report, BJP leaders burst crackers, distributed sweets, raised slogans against the Governor and reiterated the party's demand for his immediate recall.

The celebrations at the state unit BJP office was led by Home Minister R Ashoka, where partymen assembled and burst crackers and distributed sweets and raised anti-Governorslogans.

State unit BJP spokesman S Prakash said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is returning from New Delhi this evening, would be accorded a rousing reception from the BengaluruInternational Airport and taken in a procession.

The scenes of jubilation began last night soon after the Centre announced its decision not to invoke Article 356 of the Constitution as recommended by the Governor on May 15. BJP activists gathered at the official residence of Yeddyurappa and burst crackers.

Meanwhile the BJP suspended protest rallies it had planned in various districts to protest against the Governor's report.